A typical retrovirus contains an RNA genome
that codes for three genes or groups of genes:
gag (group-specific antigen), pol (polymerase),
and env (coat protein, envelope). As with all
genes of higher organisms, a cellular oncogene
(c-onc) consists of exons and introns with defined
structure and sequence, as in the gene src
(the name is derived from sarcoma, a tumor
that is induced by a change in this gene). The
virus may contain parts of the cellular oncogene
(c-scr). This is designated viral oncogene (v-src)
(Rous sarcoma virus). In chickens, it induces a
malignant tumor (a sarcoma), first observed by
Peyton Rous in 1911. Since many cellular oncogenes
are also known in an altered, viral form, it
is assumed that the viruses have integrated
parts of the respective cellular oncogenes into
their own genomes.
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